Review TEMPLE OF DREAD ‘Beyond Acheron’

Spiekeroog is an East Frisian Island and known as an attractive place for tourists, especially during the summer season. What just a smaller part of these tourists know is that the island also acts as a homebase for one of Germany’s most interesting death metal bands – Temple Of Dread.

Winterstorms and the rough North Sea made people act rather than talk, perfectly reflected by the artwork of Temple Of Dread’s newest release although the artwork is more related to Charon, the ferryman connected to old Greek mythology.

‘Beyond Acheron’ is the title of bands forth full-length studio album. The longplayer carries nine songs and one intro, all summing up to an album that stands out by its creativity and versatility.

It’s not that easy to create a death metal album that stands out but Temple Of Dread manage the challenge and unleash their best longplayer to date. The entire width of temple Of Dread in 2023 is mirrored by songs like ‘Damnation’. The core of this epic tune is death metal while melodic solos and a cinematic middle section showcases a band that isn’t shy of looking beyond the frames of death metal. The song is a masterpiece and highlight framed by equally great songs.

The starting point though refers to the artwork and album title. ‘Charon’s Call’ is the heavy sounding intro that musically describes the moment of Charon transferring the dead to the abyss by crossing Acheron. The following title track picks up the motive and transfers it into raging death metal track. The uptempo tune is a ruthless way to kick off the album and sets the scene for the things to come.

Temple Of Dread find the sweet spot between high pace death metal tracks like the furious ‘Dance of Decay’ and the mammoth riff power of songs like ‘All-Consuming Fire’. The latter starts with a slower pace and massive riffs. Frontman Jens Finger’s growls are bloodcurdling while the meat cleaver riffs are crushing too. In combination with well-placed tempo breaks the album features firepower and groove.

Thinking about death metal from Germany also brings bands like Morgoth to people’s mind. Their former singer Marc Grewe contributes to the bone-crushing ‘The Plague’. Next to the epic tracks, ‘Beyond Acheron’ also features songs like ‘Asebia’. With this kind of songs, Temple Of Dread reduce metal to its essence. No frills, just pure infernal death metal; that is what the songs stands for.

The counterpart to these blasts comes next and finishes off the album. ‘Hades’ is the closer of this longplayer and the trio shows again, why they belong to the best, German death metal has to offer these days. Epic and atmospheric on the one hand, but also fierce and savage, that is what ‘Hades’ combines in perfection and hereby sums up an album, that belongs into the Top 10 of any 2023 longplayer year poll.

Temple Of Dread unleash with ‘Beyond Acheron’ an excellent metal album that lifts the bar. Atmospheric, catching and still brutal, those are the keywords for an album that has so many details that want to be explored again and again.